Reno County jail vote moved to 2013

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March 21, 2012|By Karl Man | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

(HUTCHINSON,Kan.) — Voters have said no before, now a new vote on a tax hike to help fund a new Reno County jail is pushed back. It was supposed to happen in November of 2012; instead the vote will take place in April of 2013.

Those who want a new jail in Reno County say the current jail is too old and outdated. For years, they’ve been pushing for a new jail. Eyewitness News found out Wednesday that Reno County voters will have a chance to decide next year.

That may seem like a long time away, but there's a big reason they don't want to put it on the ballot this November.

The presidential election is in November, supporters of a new jail didn't want the issue to be on that same ballot.

They say it's too much for voters to deal with at the same time...they want the jail vote to headline the ballot.

Right now Reno County has not decided how big the tax increase would be or how many years that tax increase would last.

The strategic move of pushing the vote until next year is also meant to give the community more time to learn exactly how the whole funding process works if the issue does end up passing.

Reno County sheriff Randy Henderson knows how important the April vote is, he has spearheaded the effort to land a new facility.

“I’m not sure what we are going to do if it doesn't pass”, adds Henderson.

The sheriff’s office is still giving tours every week of the current jail facilities, that way anybody can show up and see what conditions look like from a first-hand perspective.

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